How to "clean" chaeto - aiptasia, bristle worms, etc.

[saltyfishwater]

I got a bag of chaeto from a local reefer.  I have lots of time before setting up my tank, so I have time to quarantine and clean the chaeto to get rid of any aiptasia or bristle worms.  I'm having trouble finding a good procedure for doing this.  Ideally, I'd like to use stuff I already have at home rather than buy more things.  I have bleach and potassium permanganate. 

 

Which chemical is good to use?  What dilution, and for how long?  And do I need multiple dips in case of eggs/inactive spores of other pests?

[mcarroll]

Bristleworms are beneficial, so you want them if they are there.

 

Did you really buy macro that is full of aiptasia?

 

If so, throw it in the garbage and buy from a reputable source.  Consider outting the person that sold it to you so they don't dupe anyone else.

 

But if not and you're just being paranoid about hitchhikers, then relax and enjoy your algae, bristle worms included – nothing needs eradication. 

 

Remember that reefing is an adventure, and the bonus critters are an absolutely crucial part of it.  👍

 

That's a nice bristle worm in the pic.   They're good luck!

[filefishfinatic]

dont be that paranoid. they will probably just live in the sump if you use any strong mechanical filtration.

[reefer_evo5]

I got some Cheato from my LFS just yesterday there was a brissle worm in it and some pods i left them in there and only rinsed it in the water they bagged it with to get the floating cheato off the clump they sold me i wouldnt be to worried 

[saltyfishwater]

11 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Bristleworms are beneficial, so you want them if they are there.

 

Did you really buy macro that is full of aiptasia?

 

If so, throw it in the garbage and buy from a reputable source.  Consider outting the person that sold it to you so they don't dupe anyone else.

 

But if not and you're just being paranoid about hitchhikers, then relax and enjoy your algae, bristle worms included – nothing needs eradication. 

 

Remember that reefing is an adventure, and the bonus critters are an absolutely crucial part of it.  👍

 

That's a nice bristle worm in the pic.   They're good luck!

The bag of chaeto was free, so I'm grateful for it.  I don't know if it has aiptasia or not, just that there are Bristleworms.  I'd like to avoid having to deal with the possibility of getting stung when cleaning out the refugium.  There may be other things I can grow that fulfill the roll of bristle worms in the ecosystem that don't sting.

 

I didn't think chaeto with aiptasia is a "throw it out" kind of situation.  People buy corals that may have aiptasia and have to clean it.  I'm assuming it should be easier to clean chaeto.  You never really know if the chaeto/coral you're getting has aiptasia or not, so you probably should be doing something to clean and quarantine.  It's just that existing procedures for dipping coral for aiptasia use special chemicals you have to go out to buy.  I was thinking cleaning chaeto may not require buying something - maybe just bleach that everyone has at home.

[Murphs_Reef]

Funny, I buy chaeto only to get the things you can't buy. I shake all the stars, worms, snails and pods off into the tank and trash most of the chaeto as my nutrients are too low to keep it alive for more than a few weeks. I keep some for the tang to eat. 

[Ratvan]

Wear gloves or failing that if you see one dont wonder what it is and give it a poke. Its not bad just a bit of a ballache to get the bristles out 

 

I would RODI/FW dip the cheato and see what falls off, since i assume that you are going to QT and observe this cheato? Just keep an eye out for all the life that comes with it, wishing you stomatellas and plenty of pods 

[Ratvan]

13 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Bristleworms are beneficial, so you want them if they are there.

 

Did you really buy macro that is full of aiptasia?

 

If so, throw it in the garbage and buy from a reputable source.  Consider outting the person that sold it to you so they don't dupe anyone else.

 

But if not and you're just being paranoid about hitchhikers, then relax and enjoy your algae, bristle worms included – nothing needs eradication. 

 

Remember that reefing is an adventure, and the bonus critters are an absolutely crucial part of it.  👍

 

That's a nice bristle worm in the pic.   They're good luck!

In the UK yes, usually the cheato is dumped though as its the hitch hikers we are after

1 minute ago, Murphych said:

Funny, I buy chaeto only to get the things you can't buy. I shake all the stars, worms, snails and pods off into the tank and trash most of the chaeto as my nutrients are too low to keep it alive for more than a few weeks. I keep some for the tang to eat. 

yeah, P&P Cheato is great for biodiversity 

[Murphs_Reef]

3 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

In the UK yes, usually the cheato is dumped though as its the hitch hikers we are after

yeah, P&P Cheato is great for biodiversity 

Yeah exactly. It's great cause I can't get decent live rock... Always start with dry rock and buy a few bags if pods, some bottle bac then a big bag if chaeto.  It's not quite good live rock but it's a good alternative and you have instant life in the tank. 

[mcarroll]

2 hours ago, saltyfishwater said:

I don't know if it has aiptasia or not

Then take my advice and don't worry about them.  There is, unfortunately, a lot of mythology and hype in our hobby around pests and disease and you just have to learn to recognize and avoid it for the most part.

 

2 hours ago, saltyfishwater said:

There may be other things I can grow that fulfill the roll of bristle worms in the ecosystem that don't sting.

The role is "detritivore".   Of the things you'd really want in a chaeto refugium, bristleworms are about the only thing that will survive AND increase or decrease their population to match "the mess" in your aquarium.  All for free.  

 

And they don't sting unless you put your fingers where you can't see.   That's a safety violation on the reef and a general bad practice to begin with.

 

Getting stung is over-rated too....I've been "gotten" lots of times (10-20 probably) while I worked at a saltwater store.  It sucks for a little while...not much different from getting a small splinter.  Not the end of the world....just a reminder to be more careful where you put your hands!

 

2 hours ago, saltyfishwater said:

I'd like to avoid having to deal with the possibility of getting stung when cleaning out the refugium.

Bristleworms will clean it for you tho – doing that kind of thing is pretty much the reason for their existence.  Problem solved!  🙂  

 

And as mentioned about the macro algae...unless part of the main object of the tank is to grow macro algae, you may not need or want to grow algae in your refugium at all – you may not even need or want the refugium!  More tank space is actually a better deal for most folks.  (Remember that Julian Sprung observed once that "everything its a refugium"...so even without a separate box that you call "the refugium" your system will still be filled with refugia.)

 

Setting up a new tank with a macro algae refugium is a reefing stereotype.

 

2 hours ago, saltyfishwater said:

I didn't think chaeto with aiptasia is a "throw it out" kind of situation.  People buy corals that may have aiptasia and have to clean it.

It definitely is.  

 

Your chaeto was literally someone else's garbage right before you decided to take it.  Anyone who grows it has to remove most of it from their system on a routine basis to keep it fresh or it will grow too dense, choke itself out and die off.

 

If yours had come loaded with aiptasia, then it would have meant that your "algae donor" wasn't really taking good care of their system.  In that case, you really wouldn't want it – place it in File 13.

 

2 hours ago, saltyfishwater said:

You never really know if the chaeto/coral you're getting has aiptasia or not, so you probably should be doing something to clean and quarantine.

Pests and disease are serious topics, but unfortunately both are surrounded by a lot of hype and sometimes a little bit of mania. 😉 Some folks are quite obsessive about QT thanks to the hype.  (This hype can be very hard to penetrate when you're first starting out.  Reading lots of books and other good materials on the subject is the best antidote I know of.)

 

In real reality, you generally DO know if your corals or algae have aiptasia on them, thus you can avoid the purchase in the first place if necessary.   Of course it's always a bad idea, for many reasons, to buy live stock without seeing it in person first unless you have a VERY trusted, established source.

 

2 hours ago, saltyfishwater said:

It's just that existing procedures for dipping coral for aiptasia use special chemicals you have to go out to buy.  I was thinking cleaning chaeto may not require buying something - maybe just bleach that everyone has at home.

The "existing procedures" are neither widely agreed upon by those who practice dipping corals, nor in the grand scheme of things do all that many people practice it at all.  So don't put too much weight on this idea.  

 

There are some appropriate scenarios in which you should be hardcore about QT or treatment.  But you have the ability to avoid those scenarios almost entirely.  

 

This ability is partly from you getting to know the animal/plant a little bit in person before you take it home (for 1-2+ weeks, optimally).  As you can imagine, this ability is almost completely dependent on you seeing/buying livestock in-person, and being choosy while you do it.  That means coming home empty handed from the fish store sometimes.  Not totally easy to do.  Especially not when you're stocking a brand new tank....and always being tempted by online selection and prices.

 

Bleach should stay in the laundry room.  Some filters (eg pleated micron filters) need a bleach soak (or similar) for complete cleaning.  Outside of those oddities (I bet nobody reading this is using a pleated filter) your reef should have absolutely no need for bleach.

 

Be aware: There have been some really crazy "mini trends" in our hobby over the years.  Some involve bleach.  Thanks to the internet (special credit to YouTube!), none of those bad ideas will ever die.